Márquez on the verge of Moto2™ title in Sepang

The Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix could see Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez crowned Moto2™ World Champion if he beats Tuenti Movil HP 40’s Pol Espargaró in the race this weekend.

Márquez will however be looking to put his memories of last year to rest as a heavy crash in practice saw him unable to compete, ultimately costing him a shot at the title. And in the form he is currently in, with his 53-point advantage, there is every possibility he will be crowned, however Espargaró has proven to be a strong challenger, especially when the title is still mathematically possible for him.

The battle for third in the championship is also proving to be an entertaining one, as Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi is now only one point off Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone in the table. With Lüthi on good pace in Japan, and having won the Malaysian GP last year, the Swiss rider will be the favourite to take over third spot. Iannone however, despite looking out of sorts in Japan last weekend, is known for pulling performances out of the bag, and will always be a podium contender.

Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding battled to fourth in Japan whilst still nursing a sore forearm after his surgery to fix him arm-pump problem. He will undoubtedly be hoping to challenge for the podium once more in Malaysia, whilst his teammate Mika Kallio will be looking to put a difficult Motegi weekend behind him, and fight with the front-runners once more.

Redding’s compatriot, Tech 3 Racing’s Bradley Smith, was unable to show an increase in pace due to technical issues last weekend, and him and his team will hope that his run of form will yield a positive result in Sepang. Espargaró’s teammate Esteve Rabat, who recorded his season-first podium in Motegi, showed what he is capable of and will aim to replicate this in Malaysia, whilst Italtrans Racing Team’s latest signing Toni Elías will look to convert his front-running pace into a podium without crashing out, as he did in Japan.